Nabarreus “Barre” Cross is a graduate of The State University of New York at Potsdam, class of 2014 majoring in Dance. Nabarreus started his career in 2005, dancing for AG Voice of Harlem, the creator of “No Music” and “Lite Feet.” Barre is one of the first original dancers of Lite Feet and Team Lite Feet, a collection of ‘the best’ dancers around the city.

Since then Nabarreus has grown as a dancer and educator and has learned to appreciate all styles. His Duet piece Heure de Jouer, was selected and performed at the American College Dance Festival concert at Boston University. He has worked with Gina Gibney and received an ICAT certificate, The Institute for Community Action Training. In 2012, he founded and directed Project Morry’s Dance Program, which is an Organization dedicated to the needs of inner-city youth in the tristate area. He also serves as a teaching artist in his community, where he teaches youth dance technique, dance history including important history on the male dancer, as well as self-love and body awareness. He has worked for Wingspan Arts as a site director, Brooklyn Music School, The Boys Club of New York, Harlem Children’s Zone and has mentored for Project Morry’s Summer Intensive program.

Nabarreus has continued his studies at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School, where he trained in American and classical ballet. He was awarded the DTH Boys Scholarship, and merit and scholarship awards and was part of the DTH Dance Ensemble. Most recently Nabarreus has been featured in numerous film and television productions, from a principal acting role in True Crimes Investigating series to more notably in Spike Lee’s highly anticipated movie Blackkklansman as a featured dancer and college student. He also is seen dancing in The Deuce Season II, The Get Down Part II as a Zulu Nation Member, Sakshyam an international Bollywood movie, featured dancer for Alia Pierre, is a winner of the “Rock Don’t Stop” Hip Hop Film festival award and has been featured in various commercials. He was also featured in Vogue China as a dancer and model for Chi Zhang NYFW F/W ’17. Most recently, he was cast as a dancer for the Brooklyn Academy of Music Dance Africa 2021 production.

Nabarreus Cross is currently teaching the following classes:

Hip-Hop (Intermediate)

Hip-Hop

Of Haitian origin, born and raised in Switzerland, Tatiana is a professional dancer, dance instructor, dance consultant, choreographer, organizer, curator, with a Master degree as adult educator and a Bachelor in Psychology (University of Geneva). Tatiana won several competitions and is regularly invited to give workshops and judge competitions worldwide.

Very involved in the growth of the swiss hip-hop scene, she has been teaching and mentoring since 2005, had her own dance school “Le Centre Hip-Hop,” taught regular classes in several dance schools (such as “CFP Arts,” an important arts school in Geneva), and stays involved in the swiss community through JAIA & FlowFocus ( a non-profit organization providing sessions, parties, workshops and a battle). In 2012, she was one of the four founders of the first Hip-Hop dance company in Geneva called “Continuum.”

She is the director and choreographer of “Passion Fruit Dance Company” a street dance theater and educational company, which she founded in 2016. The company’s mission is to explore the human experience, address social issues such as racism, and strive to inspire young artists to share their voices, through her performances, her teaching programs (designed to provide tools to heal, to release, to build confidence or to educate on the racial issue, providing anti-racist tools) called “Passion Fruit Seeds,” and a multisensory experience within a cultural party called “Les 5 Sens.” She performed with her company in places such as at The Apollo Theater, Summerstage, Jacob’s pillow, the New Victory Theater, BAAD!, Pregones theater, LOHH, Joe’s Pub, 92Y, the Guggenheim, the Lincoln Center, Mass Moca and abroad (Canada ( MTL) and Switzerland). They also did a commercial for Credo Beauty.

Tatiana was selected as one of Dance Magazine’s 2020 “25 to Watch.” She also featured in the New Yorker magazine for the “Goings on about town” in 2021.

She had the chance to perform at the Madison Square garden and the Wells Fargo Center for the rock band Arcade Fire, In Electrogynous by Sabela Grimes performed at the University of Columbia, In Where Love lies follow a play written by Nichi Douglas performed at the Martin E. Segal Theater for the Prelude festival (NYC) and at the Public Theater Under the Radar festival (NYC). Tatiana had the opportunity to be Nichi Douglas’s dance consultant for the premiere of that play at The Shed.

Tatiana is one of the core dancer of the pioneering street dance theater company Rennie Harris Puremovement since 2016, performing throughout the United States. She is also part of the Nefer Global Movement collective since 2018, a core member of LayeRhythm Experiment Company since 2019, performing at 92Y, Jacob’s Pillow, Purdue University (online), Bridge Street Theater (online). Since 2021 she is part of the Black Dancing Bodies project with whom she recently did the “Works & Process bubble residency” performing at the New York Library.

Amongst other styles, Tatiana specializes in Hip-Hop and Housedance.

Photo Credit: Lauriane Ogay

Tatiana Desardouin is currently teaching the following classes:

Hip-Hop (Intermediate)

Hip-Hop (Advanced)

Elizabeth Douglas received her Masters in Dance Education from NYU; has taught in both private institutions and Arts in Education programs; in addition to her work in education Elizabeth continues to develop her own choreography.

Elizabeth Douglas is currently teaching the following classes:

Ballet

Ballet (Beginner)

Ballet (Beginner/Intermediate)

Ballet (Intermediate/Advanced)

Ballet

Ballet

Pre-Pointe/Strengthening

Mai Lê is a French-Vietnamese street/club dance performer, choreographer, educator, coach, dj, curator, and the Founder and Artistic Director of LayeRhythm Productions INC, a NYC-based non-profit dedicated to highlighting freestyle voices in performance art.

In 2015, Mai Lê founded LayeRhythm, a cutting­ edge monthly jam session that creatively layers live musicians & vocalists with freestyle dancers. Since 2019, the project has been taking its club roots to the stage with The LayeRhythm Experiment ensemble, co-creating unique performances in partnership with live audiences at 92Y, Jacob's Pillow, Purdue University (online) and offering educational programs for aspiring freestyle artists.

As a core dancer in the pioneering street dance theater company Rennie Harris PureMovement since 2013, and in Passion Fruit Dance Company since 2016, Mai Lê has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Guggenheim Museum, LA Music Center, Apollo Theater, Dance Place DC, NJPAC, City Center New York, Kimmel Center, and more than 60 additional venues across the USA and abroad. She also toured Europe with seminal Detroit music producer Theo Parrish and his live band in 2014.

In 2021, Mai Lê was selected to be artist-in-residence at Bridge Street Theater, virtual artist-in-residence with Asian American Arts Alliance, and movement curator for Asian Cultural Council’s East West Fest.

From 2017 to 2019, Mai Lê was the Program Director of It’s Showtime NYC! (IST), a City-funded program that celebrates NYC street culture and provides performance and professional development opportunities to street and subway dancers.

As a dance educator, Mai Lê has taught house dance workshops in Brazil, Vietnam, Japan, DRC, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and throughout the US, and has held weekly classes at EXPG NYC for over 5 years.

Contact: maile@layerhythm.org / IG: @mailegrooves

Photo Credit: Lauriane Ogay

Ayaka Kamei is a freelance dancer/teaching artist based in New York. She most recently concluded her two-year contract with the world tour of The Phantom of the Opera as a dancer/singer.

Following her early training at Tatewaki Hiroko Ballet School in Ehime, Japan, she graduated from Northern Ballet School in England as well as SUNY Purchase, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a President Award for Achievement in the Conservatory of Dance. She was selected to study abroad at Codarts in the Netherlands and Springboard Danse Montréal as well.

Ayaka has danced with many companies including The Metropolitan Opera, MorDance, New York Theatre Ballet, AZOTH Dance Theatre and Ayalis In Motion. She has performed works by choreographers such as Balanchine, Cunningham, Tudor, Roy Assaf, Aszure Barton, Dario Dinuzzi, John Heginbotham, Jessica Lang, Austin McCormick, Keith Michael, David Needham, Matthew Neenan, Alexei Ratmansky, Taryn Kaschock Russell and Bettijane Sills, among others.

As a teaching artist, she has had the pleasure of teaching ballet, contemporary, jazz and yoga in Japan and New York at places such as SUNY Purchase, Gibney Dance, Chen Dance Center, Dance Project of Washington Heights, Artistry Dance Project, Greenwich Dance Studio, Hariyama Ballet, Tatewaki Hiroko Ballet School, Musashino University, and more. Being a versatile dancer, she takes a contemporary approach to the traditional forms and emphasizes the importance of musicality and fluidity in the dancing body. Dancing is a source of happiness for her, and she is delighted to share it with everybody.

Photo Credit: Bohyun Yoon

Ayaka Kamei is currently teaching the following classes:

Ballet (Beginner)

Ballet (Beginner/Intermediate)

Jill Kenney is a New York-based tap dancer, teacher, and choreographer. In addition to her work at the 92Y, she is currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center and teaches children and adults throughout Long Island. Jill has also taught at NYU Steinhardt, Ballet Tech, and Steps on Broadway. She has been on the faculty of numerous tap dance festivals including The Big Apple Tap Festival, Tap Ties Dance & Fitness Festival, and the Motor City Tap Fest. As a choreographer her work has been seen in New York venues such as Symphony Space, 54 Below, 92Y Buttenweiser Hall, The NYC Choreographer’s Forum, ATDF’s Something’s Afoot, The Tank, and The Long Beach Public Library.

Jill worked with Germaine Salsberg for many years, as her tap assistant at Broadway Dance Center and as a member of her company, Les Femmes. With this company, Jill has performed at Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, The Friars Club, Brooklyn College, and Boston’s Regent Theatre. She has appeared as a dancer in numerous festivals including the Dumbo Dance Festival, Tap City, Stam-Pede, and the Tap Extravaganza. She has been a team leader for ATDF’s outdoor event Tap It Out and has performed choreography by Lynn Schwab in Rhythm in Motion. Other performance highlights include the Highline Ballroom, LG Electronics, Career Transitions of Dancers Gala at Citi Center, and Disney Cruise Lines.

Originally from Rhode Island, Jill grew up training in various forms of dance with a focus on Ballet and Tap. She has studied at the 92Y Dance Education Laboratory and holds a B.A. in Dance Performance and Education from SUNY Empire State College, as well as an A.A. in Dance from Dean Collegein Franklin, MA.

Jill Kenney is currently teaching the following classes:

Tap

Tap

Tap (Advanced Beginner/Intermediate)

Tap (Intermediate/Advanced)

Alison Manning is the former Executive Director and Co-Producer of The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, working with the organization from 2008-2020 to provide meaningful residency opportunities for national and international dance and performing artists and bringing the performing arts to the Vineyard community. She is founding Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer of DanceTheYard, The Yard’s year-round professional dance company, with choreographic partner and company Co-Artistic Director Jesse Keller Jason. Jesse and Alison’s choreographic body of work has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow, Mass MOCA, The Yard, The Dance Complex, Ohio University, Triskelion Arts, among others.

Alison is a passionate Horton teacher and an avid tap and rhythm dancer and advocate. She discovered her love for the Horton technique as a scholarship student at Jacob’s Pillow, working with the great Milton Myers, and has continued studying with mentors Mr. Myers, Kristina Berger, Karen Gayle and other lauded Horton Teachers through the years. She taught the technique on Faculty at The Yard each summer, and as a guest teaching artist at NYU Steinhardt School, Wesleyan Univeristy, Peridance Capezio Center, and STEPS on Broadway. In addition to teaching, Alison dances and performs with The Bang Group and has worked for The Peggy Spina Tap Company, Xodus Dance Collective, Kinodance company among others. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Modern Dance and Minor in Art History.

Photo credit: Sally Cohn

Alison Manning is currently teaching the following classes:

Modern Dance Horton (Intermediate)

Sameena Mitta is the founder and artistic director of MeenMoves, as well as of the government-funded education and outreach program, MadHops. A graduate of the professional ballet training program of The School of Dance in Ottawa, Mitta was a recipient of the Celia Franca Scholarship, and was awarded with distinction the Associate Diploma of the Cecchetti Society. She has spent over 15 years teaching and working as a freelance modern dancer, performing for numerous choreographers and teaching at schools throughout North America and abroad. Mitta has performed with The White Oak Dance Project in their New York Season of Past Forward, in the Czech Republic with Dagmar Spain and in New York with The Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, Kathryn Alter and Dancers, Aviva Geismar, Luis Tentindo and The Juilliard Opera Company, among many others. In 2008 she received a MA in Dance Creation at UQAM focusing on Movement Intervention for survivors of domestic violence. Mitta, with her dance-theatre company, MeenMoves, has presented works in North America, India, Japan and Europe. Esteemed festivals have selected and produced Mitta’s pieces, including the evening-length work Growing Pains, co-presented by ODD in Ottawa (2013). She has shown work at Ailey APAP2018 (NYC, 2018) and at BAM Fisher (NYC, 2018) as well as Frigid Festival (NYC, 2014), Westfest Dance Festival (NYC, 2015), 60x60 (NYC, 2015), BAX’s Winter Festival (NYC, 2016) and Dance On The Lawn (NJ, 2018). She presented her evening-length work, alternative (f)Acts, at the Martha Graham Theater (NYC, 2017). In 2015, Mitta was invited to create work through a residency at the Lake Studios in Berlin, Germany and has produced work for the Choreographer’s Collective in NYC. She has received funding from the Canadian government for her outreach programming and has sat on juries in Canada and the USA for several organizations offering funding and scholarships. She is the recipient of the choreographic fellowship at NJPAC (2018-2020) and is on faculty at the Limón Institute, Ballet Tech and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center. Mitta’s interests include arts activism and diversity in dance.

Sameena Mitta is currently teaching the following classes:

Modern Dance Limón Technique (Intermediate)

Brazilian tap dancer and choreographer Leonardo Sandoval is renowned for blending America’s great tap tradition with Brazil’s rich rhythmic and musical heritage. A true dancer-musician, he is a core member of acclaimed company Dorrance Dance, and is one of Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” for 2021.

With composer Gregory Richardson, he directs Music from the Sole, a tap dance and live music company that celebrates tap’s Afro-diasporic roots, its lineage to forms like house and samba, and its unique blend of sound and movement. Leonardo’s work has been presented at venues including Jacob’s Pillow, the National Folk Festival, Lincoln Center, The Yard, and Works & Process at the Guggenheim.

Leonardo is a passionate believer in the transformational power of dance and music, and he is proud to partner with institutions like Lincoln Center Education and the National Dance Institute to engage with communities across NYC through performances, workshops.

Leonardo Sandoval is currently teaching the following classes:

Tap (Beginner)

Tap (Advanced)

Nicole Wong is a New York based Teaching Artist specializing in tap dance and musical theater. She is currently working at the New Victory Theater in their Education department. She has taught tap to kids at Rosie’s Theater Kids in New York, Walltown Children’s Theatre in Durham, NC, and JHS 189 in Flushing, Queens.

Some of Nicole’s performance and choreography highlights include ATDF’s Something’s Afoot with Jill Kenney, On Tap’s various showcases at Duke University, Singin’ in the Rain with JHS 189 at Flushing Town Hall, and Rosie’s Theater Kids Passing it On Gala with Derick Grant.

Nicole grew up in New York City and became one of the earliest members of Rosie’s Theater Kids, where she studied tap, ballet, musical theater, acting and singing. She also continued her dance training at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and American Tap Dance Foundation. She has her BA from Duke University with a major in Music and minor in Education.

Nicole Wong is currently teaching the following classes:

Tap

Tap

Elizabeth Yilmaz-Dobrowis a professional dancer and teacher in New York City. She received her B.A in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College where she now serves on the Dance Advisory Board. She is a former company member with Ballet Hispanico of New York.

This is Elizabeth’s eighth season dancing with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Productions at the Metropolitan Opera include Bluebeard’s Castle, Werther, Die Zauberflöte, Parsifal, Manon, La Traviata, Aida, The Magic Flute and Tannhäuser. The last five of which have been transmitted live in HD to over 70 countries across the globe. Elizabeth also manages the Met Opera Ballet Instagram page and serves on the Creative Committee, Dancers of the Met.

Elizabeth toured internationally with Angelina Ballerina, The Musical, danced at Walt Disney World, and is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artist Union. Elizabeth teaches dance throughout the United States. Most recently teaching ballet and musical theatre for Joffery Ballet, Regional Dance America, Mile Square Theatre, Marymount Girls School, the Passport to learning project in New Jersey, the National Choreography Intensive and private lessons in Manhattan, Metro-Atlanta, and virtually.

Photo Credit: Richard Calmes

Elizabeth Yilmaz is currently teaching the following classes:

Ballet (Intermediate/Advanced)

Nicholas Van Young is a dancer, musician, choreographer, and a 2014 Bessie Award recipient. He began his professional career at age 16 under Acia Gray and Deirdre Strand with Tapestry Dance Company in Austin, Texas, eventually rising to principal dancer and resident choreographer. Since moving to New York he has performed with Manhattan Tap, RumbaTap, Dorrance Dance, and Beat the Donkey; he has toured as a drummer for Darwin Deez; and he spent almost a decade performing with STOMP, where he performed the lead role and acted as rehearsal director. Young tours both nationally and internationally teaching and performing at various tap festivals, and founded Sound Movement dance company and IFTRA, the Institute for the Rhythmic Arts. Nicholas is the Associate Artistic Director of Dorrance Dance and is thrilled to have found a home co-creating and developing ETM: Double Down, and the Guggenheim Rotunda Project, both collaborative efforts with Michelle Dorrance the company’s founder and Artistic Director.

Nicholas Young is currently teaching the following classes:

Tap (Beginner)

Tap (Intermediate)

Body Percussion & Rhythmic Forms

Tap (Intermediate)